Dual-frequency ADCPs measuring turbidity

A pair of self-contained acoustic Doppler current profilers (SC-ADCPs) operating with different frequencies were moored on a muddy sea bottom at about 20 m depth in the Bay of Vilaine off the French Atlantic coast. With their acoustic beams oriented upwards, the SC-ADCPs ensonified most of the water column. The results of several months of in situ recorded echo intensity data spanning 2 years (2003 to 2004) from the dual-frequency ADCPs are presented in this paper. The aim was to estimate suspended particle mass concentration and mean size. A concentration index CI is proposed for the estimation of particle concentration. Based on theory the CI—unlike the volume backscatter strength—does not depend on particle size. Compared with in situ optical data, the CI shows reasonable precision but not increased with respect to that of the highest-frequency backscatter strength. Concerning the mean particle size, despite a lack of quantitative validation with optical particle-size measurements, the method yielded a qualitative discrimination of mineral (small) and organic (large) particles. This supports the potential of dual-frequency ADCPs to quantitatively determine particle size. A cross-calibration of the transducers of each ADCP shows that a specific component of the precision of the backscatter strength measured by ADCP depends on the acoustic frequency, the cell thickness and the ensemble integration time. Based on these results, the use of two ADCPs operating with distinctly different frequencies (two octaves apart) or a single dual-frequency ADCP is recommended.